Principality

[Zeromage1]

Hey, guys,

Maybe this isn't the place to ask this, but I'll try it out anyway. In the world I'm creating I'm throwing in a couple of principalities. Do principalities necessarily owe their alleigance, even nominally to a more powerful state? I know many of the principalities in the Balkans owed tribute to the Ottoman empire, and the german prinicipalities were supposed to be under the holy roman empire.

[SethoMarkus]

I wouldn't think it to be politically necessary, but they better have a darn fine defensive army to avoid being taken over by neighboring states. I had always figured that most of those styles of allegiance were primarily for protection; offer fealty to a higher power so that other powers won't mess with you for fear of retaliation.

[KillianHawkeye]

prin·ci·pal·i·ty
noun \ˌprin(t)-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē\

: a small area or country that is ruled by a prince
plural prin·ci·pal·i·ties
Full Definition of PRINCIPALITY
1
a : the state, office, or authority of a prince
b : the position or responsibilities of a principal (as of a school)
2
: the territory or jurisdiction of a prince : the country that gives title to a prince
3
plural : an order of angels — see celestial hierarchy

I don't see anything in the definition that requires fealty to a larger nation.

[PersonMan]

It can be possible to have powerful principalities that would otherwise be kingdoms if you add some kind of "kingmaker" system or authority. Something like the old HRE - Catholic church thing, but more like "The High Priest of St. Cuthbert (or some other LN deity) must crown you king. To call yourself king without this official crowning is to invite the wrath of all other nations, who will eagerly divide up your lands under the excuse of holy war".

[(Un)Inspired]

You're not planning one recreating the principality of Zeon by any chance are you? That's always the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word principality

[Slipperychicken]

If their capabilities are sufficient to deter likely enemies, fealty isn't strictly necessary.

[Dawgmoah]

Hey, guys,

Do principalities necessarily owe their alleigance, even nominally to a more powerful state?

Short answer? No.

Real Life examples of principalities that were not absorbed into larger countries:

Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Andorra, and even Holland and Belgium kept their independence from their larger neighbors by playing those same neighbors against each other most of the time.

Then there is Portugal, Vatican City, Malta, and Cyrpus for example that were once part of larger countries and gained their independence, usually without outside help.

Places like Gibraltar and the Bahamas that are part of the British Commonwealth and loosely governed from London.

And then areas like Kosovo and Northern Cyrpus that exist mainly due to outside countries forcing their existance on whatever government they broke from.

I've stayed away from the more political hot points on purpose.

In short: feel free to make your various baronies, duchies, counties, shires, etc, have whatever tangled web of influence and politics you desire. Lots of RP potential in that.